Calculating-machine.



F. TRINKS.

CALCULATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 23, 1914.

1 1,215,219. Patented Feb. 6,1917.

OFFICE,

FRANZ TRINK8, OF BRUNS'WIGK, GERMANY.

OALCULATING-M'JLOHINE.

Application filed Gctober 23, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANZ Tnrrrns, manufacturer, citizen of the Duchy of Brunswick, Empire of Germany, residing at Brunswick, Germany, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Calculating-Machines, of which th following is a specification.

This invention relates to calculating machines, and in particular to t e means or mechanism therein comprised for setting up the numbers to be computed on the wheels of the register or totalizer, the invention constituting, in effect, an improvementon, or development of, the construction shown and described in my prior United States Patent, No. 823,375, granted June 12, 1906.

In calculating machines of the type disclosed in said patent, the setting operation is carried out by means of a series of rotatable disks, one for each numeral wheel, these disks, when turned, acting to project outwardly one or more pins associated therewith, according to the particular digits being computed; and at the completion of this preliminary indexing operation, as it may be termed, the main shaft or other actuating element is brought into play, thereby rotating the numeral wheels, through the agency of intermediate gearing, to the extents determined by the set pins. The disks are subsequently returned to their original positions by a resetting device, which acts upon all of them at the same time.

According to the present invention, means are provided whereby a digit to be computed can be directly run up on any selected numeral wheel. or wheels, independently of all of the other wheels, and without entailing operation either of the aforementioned setting disks, or of the main actuatingelement, so that a complete computation can be set up in the register before the main setting and driving mechanisms have been operated. thereby materially simplif ing the operation of the machine. Also, the set numeral wheel or wheels may be directly returned to zero individually. without affecting the remaining wheels, or any of them; or, if desired, all of the numeral wheels, may be directly zero-set simultaneously, thereby clearing the register.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 6, 1917.

Serial No. 868,308.

which Figures 1 and 2 are, respectively, a vertical section and a plan view of the registering mechanism of a calculating machine of the general type disclosed in the patent above identified.

Referring more particularly to said drawing, the register or totalizer of the present construction is shown as comprising a series of digit-bearing numeral or dial wheels 2, loosely mounted on a shaft 1, and having fixed to opposite sides thereof a pair of gears t and 7. The gears d are those usu ally employed in the present type of calculating machine, and they are adapted to be engaged, in the case of such machine, by the outwarally-projected pins on the corresponding disks of the main setting or in-. deXing mechanism (not shown), the rotation of said pin-carrying disks, produced consequent upon the operation of the main shaft or other driving element, effecting the rotation of the gears 4 and their attached numeral wheels to extents determined by the numbers of pins set on the disks, as will be understood. Hence, it appears that these gears 4 are directly acted on by the main setting mechanism, and, in turn, form the means whereby the numeral wheels are normally controlled and driven. The usual back-check pawls 3 are preferably provided in connection with the aforesaid gears 4, as shown.

The gears 7 expressly form a part of the improved or added setting and resetting mechanism. and are lacking in the earlier or patented construction, their sole function being to effect the rotation of the numeral wheel when actuated by the devices about to be described. In the construction illustrated, which, for all present purposes may be considered as preferred, the actuating devices consist of gear sectors 5, one individual to each numeral wheel, loosely mounted in an inverted. position on a horizontal shaft 10, and normally held in a retracted position with relation to the opposite gears 7. by springs 18. The shaft 10 just referred to. is journaled at its ends in slots provided in the end walls of the casing of the machine, and, hence, is capable of a limited lateral movement toward and from the numeral wheel shaft 1. Normally, however, shaft 10 is pressed toward shaft 1 by means of a spring; 1-1 that bears against the adjacent one of a pair of depending links 12 and holds it against a stop 19; said links 12 being connected at their upper ends to the shaft 10 and at their lower ends to a rock shaft 15. This shaft 15 is located parallel with, and close to, the base plate 13, and is equipped with an external crank handle 16, by means of which it may be rocked, for the purpose of forcing the sector shaft 10 away from the numeral wheel shaft 1, thereby disengaging all of the sectors at once from the gears 7, said handle moving at such time in the direction of the arrow 17. The unmeshing of the sectors from gears 7, leaves said sectors free to be depressed by their springs 18.

Each of the afore-mentioned gears 7 is provided, for purposes subsequently explained, with a cut-away or mutilated portion 6, such mutilated portion comprising the spaces ordinarily occupied by the teeth corresponding to the digits 7 and 8 on the periphery of the numeral wheel. In the normal position of the parts, shown in Fig. 1,that is to say, when the machine is cleared, and the Os on all of the wheels stand opposite-the sight opening 11. in the casing,the sectors 5 are ineffective or in operative with relation to the gears 7, since only the mutilated portions (3 of said gears are at that time disposed in the path of the sectors, as will be apparent. Hence, it is necessary to first turn the numeral wheels one step before they can be set by, the sectors, this added or initial step being imparted to said wheels by the gears 4, which latter, in the present construction, are driven from the main setting mechanism, thereby exposing a row of 9s through the sight opening. At the completion of such opera tion, the teeth corresponding to the 6s on the numeral wheels will be brought into position for engagement with the uppermost teeth on the sectors, the latter being then rotated in the direction of the arrow 8, by means of their finger-pieces 9, to effect the setting of the numeral wheels for any position between 0 and 8 The individual rotation of the numeral wheels by the sectors may be utilized, as just stated. to run up a computation on any selected wheel or wheels. and it may also be utilized to Zero-set such wheel or wheels, it being understood that in the latter case the wheel has previously been set to expose the desired digit. The turning of the numeral wheels by the sectors during the resetting or clearing operation, continues until the mutilated portions 6 of the gears 7 come opposite the teeth on the sectors, at which time the wheels show their Os through the sight opening and the gears cease to move. Means are also provided whereby this clearing of the numeral wheels by the sectors may take place simultaneously for all of said wheels, such means preferably consisting of a horizontal rod or bar 21, that is disposed parallel with shaft 10 and is suitably connected to the same to be swung or shifted bodily thereby. This bar overlies all of the sectors, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the latter will be rocked upward in the direction of arrow 8 when said shaft 10 is operated by means of the c'ank handle 20 with which it is equipped externally.

In operation, assuming that all of the numeral wheels stand at zero, and that it is necessary, or desirable, either to set up a complete preliminary computation on the register, prior to actuation of the main setting and driving mechanisms, and independently thereof, or else to set up a particular digit or digits on a certain wheel or wheels for any purpose whatever, the aforesaid main setting mechanism is first operated, in the case of a machine of the Trinks type, to set all of the wheels in their 9 position, this initial operation bringing the teeth at the lower extremities of the mutilated portions (3 of the gears 7 into position for en gagement by the uppermost teeth on the sectors The preliminary setting operation just described may, and probably will in practice, be effected at the completion of each days work, so that the machine will he left ready for the operator to set up any desired number therein on beginning the next days work.

In any case, however, the gears 7 are brought in this way into operative position with relation to the sectors 5, and the latter are then manipulated individually by means of their finger-pieces 9, to set up the desired digits on the appropriate numeral wheels. The handle 16 is then actuated, with the result that the sector shaft l0 is carried to a position where all of the sectors are disengaged from gears 7 and are immediately restored to normal position automatically by the springs 18, said shaft being likewise returned to normal position by spring 14: when the handle is released. Computation then proceeds in the usual manner.

At any time during computation, the numeral wheels may be turned to zero, either individually or collectively, according as the sectors are operated aeriat-im by their linger-pieces 9, or concurrently by the action of the handle 20, the latter serving to actuate the bar 21 which, in turn, rocks allof the sectors in unison. In either instance, the gears 7 are rotated by the sectors. until their mutilated portions 6 come opposite the sectors and preclude further rotation of said gears, the numeral wheels having reached their zero positions at such time.

While the invention is intended primarily for use in connection with a machine of the Trinksv type, as represented in the patent specified, it will be understood that no restricti on to such use is contemplated. Hence,

it is immaterial, as regards the actual features of the invention, just how the driving gears l are rotated to position the mutilated gears for engagement with the sectors, since they may obviously be turned by devices other than the usual pin-carrying disks of the Trinks construction.

It will also be apparent from the foregoing, that while the sectors function prima ily to initially run up d'gits on selected numeral wheels, and to subsequently clear any or all of said wheels either individually or simultaneously, hey may also be used to correct errors in cases where the digits accidentally regis'ered are higher than those intended, as, for example, where 6 was re istered instead of ,3 etc. In such case, the wheel on which the error is present, may be turned back one or more steps ithout an'ecting any of the other wheels, or necessitating operation of the main setting and driving mechanisms.

1. In a calculating machine, the combination, with a series of numeral wheels, each provided upon opposite sides with a pair of gears, one gear of each pair being adapted to drive the associated wheel to dilferent predetermined extents to run up different digits thereon; of a series of individuallyoperable sectors, one for each. wheel, each sector engageable with the other gear of the corresponding pair to alternatively run up a digit on the associated wheel or turn said wheel to zero.

2. In a calculating machine, the combination, with a series of numeral wheels, each provided with a gear; of a series of indi vidually-operable toothed elements engageable with said gears, to rotate the accordant wheels, said gears normally out of position for such engagement; and means whereby said wheels may be rotated to bring said gears into position for such engagement.

8. In a calculating machine, the combination, with a series of numeral wheels each having a gear on one side thereof; of a series of individually-operable toothed elements engageable with said gears, to rotate the accordant wheels, said gears normally out of position for such engagement; and a gear fixed to the opposite side of each wheel from the first-named gear, to rotate said wheel and thereby bring said first-named gear into position for such engagement.

4. In a calculating machine, the combination, with aseries of numeral wheels, each provided with a gear iaving a portion thereof cut away; or a series of individually operable toothed elements engageable with said gears, to rotate the accordant wheels, said gears normally disposed with their cutaway portions opposite said toothed elements, so as to preclude such engagement; and means whereby said wheels may be rotated so to bring the teeth of said gears opposite said elements, to permit such enga gement.

5, In calculating machine, the combination, with a series of numeral wheels each provided with a gear; of a series of individually-operable toothed elements, one for each gear, engageable with said gears to rotate said wheels; a common supporting shaft whereon said elements are loosely mounted; and means connected to shift said shaft bodily away from said gears, to disengage said elements therefrom.

6. In a calculating machine, the combination, with a series of numeral wheels each provided with a gear; of series of individually-operable toothed elements, one for each gear, engageable with said gears to rotate said wheels; a common supporting shaft whereon said'elements are loosely mounted; means connected to shift said shaft bodily away from said gears, to disengage said elements therefrom; and means for automatically returning the disengaged elements to normal position.

7. in a calculating machine, the combination, with a series of numeral wheels each provided with a gear; of a series of individually-operable toothed elements, one for each gear, engageable with said gears to rotate said wheels; a common supporting shaft whereon said elements are loosely mounted; means connected to shift said shaft bodily away from said gears, to disengage said ele' ments therefrom; means for automatically returning said shaft to normal position; and a spring individual to each of said elements for automatically restoring the same to normal position upon its disengagement.

8. In a calculating machine, the combina tion, with series of numeral wl eels, each provided with a gear; of a series of individually-operable toothed elements, one for each gear, engageable with said gears to rotate said wheels; and means for bodily shifting all of said elements away from said gears,

to effect their disengagement therefrom.

9. In a calculating machine, the combination, with a series of numeral wheels, each provided with a gear; of a series of individually-operable toothed elements, one for each gear, engageable with said gears to rotate said wheels; means for bodily shifting all of said elements away from said gears, to effect their disengagement therefrom; and means for automatically returning the disengaged elements to normal position.

10. In a calculating machine, the combination, with a series of numeral wheels, each provided with a gear; of a series of individually-operable toothed elements, one for each gear, engageable with said gears to rotate said wheels; a common support therefor; a pair of vertical links connected at one end to said support; a rock shaft to Which said links are connected at the other end; and means for rocking said shaft, to shift said support bodily away from said gears, to disengage said elements therefrom.

11. In a calculating machine, the combination, with a. series of numeral Wheels; each provided upon opposite sides with a pair of gears, one gear of each pair being adapted to drive the associated Wheel to different predetermined extents to run up different digits thereon and the other gear of the pair having a mutilated portion; of a series of individually-operable toothed elements, one for each- Wheel, each of said elements engageable with the mutilated gear of the corresponding pair to run up a digit on the associated Wheel, said mutilated gears having their mutilated portions normally disposed opposite said elements to preclude such engagement, but rotatable to bring their toothed portions opposite said elements to permit such engagement.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

FRANZ TRINKS.

Witnesses F. SOHNBRE, RICHARD KRILBs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

